If you are 
ready to join,
(and thus be a Founding Member)
click here:

If you are 
ready to join,
(and thus be a Founding Member)
click here:































If you are 
ready to join,
(and thus be a Founding Member)
click here:

If you are 
ready to join,
(and thus be a Founding Member)
click here:

If you are 
ready to join,
(and thus be a Founding Member)
click here:

Lifetime
membership
only $79

A. Background/Paradigm
Here's where I'm coming from...

1.  I've always wanted to find a way to offer coach training to anyone, wherever and whenever they wanted it.
I remember on the Coaching Tour last year speaking briefly to a young woman who was particularly bright-eyed.  To make a very long story short, I asked her why she wanted to become a coach.  Her reply (as best as I remember it),  "I work as a checker at Wal-Mart and I see the sadness and discouragement on the faces of the people and families who come through my line.  I feel that I can help them as a coach, but I cannot afford the training right now.  But I'm saving up so that in four years I'll be able to afford it."

Given the extreme affordability of the CoachVille Coaching Training Program, she -- and her lucky clients -- won't have to wait. 


2. Coaches worldwide want immediate and complete access to the most progressive coach-training content and modules available.
This is true whether they are currently in another coach training program or not.  They want the modules, the skills, the principles/thinking, the examples, the forms/assessments.  And they want them when they want them. And they aren't willing to pay a lot for them, even though they should be willing to pay a lot for them. Key point.

Given the online nature and delivery format of the CoachVille Coach Training Program coaches worldwide will be able to access -- and search -- to find exactly what they need at any given time in their professional career -- or with a specific client.


3. The client should be our primary focus, not arbitrary and vague standards and not on 'protecting' the coaching industry.
I'm nauseated by the whole standards discussion.  It's inane.  It's all about some well-meaning coaches trying to impress each other, the public and the media -- about how "good" and "legitimate" we are as coaches.  In all that I've read about this, I've never seen any real reference to the client other than lip service.  I feel strongly that the client  -- and how well they are doing as a result of the coach and the coaching process -- should be the primary focus of a training/certification program, not our industry or 'credibility in the marketplace.'  Let's focus on getting really good as coaches and put 99% of our efforts into that.  Performance drives credibility.  Not arbitrary standards.

The Certified Coach will be trained in and familiar with the opportunities, problems, dilemmas and situations that humans find themselves in.  And knowledgeable about how to assist in a variety of ways.


4. Ninety-nine percent of the people who will be coaches over the next 20 years haven't even heard of coaching yet.  And 95% of the coaches currently coaching have yet to be certified.
At this point, the market is wide open.

The CoachVille Coach Training and Certified Coach package is fresh, market-oriented, progressive, challenging, comprehensive and incredibly affordable.  And it's frictionless, instantly available-on-demand and highly customizable.  The learner is in charge.  Not an institution.  Welcome to the world of open-architecture and open source code.  Can you say Linux?


5. Innovation is exactly what we need most right now in our industry, not politics or constriction.
It's my view that we only know 3% of what we should know as coaches in order to be our absolute best. And I include myself in this 3% wisdom category, and I've been coaching for 19 years.  If you compare the stage of development and evolution that coaching is at with the human organism, coaching is still at the amoeba stage.  We barely know what we're doing and there's no major R&D effort that I see that is accelerating us and the work we do along this necessary path. 

CoachVille is positioning itself as the industry's innovation driver  and resource center where every coach can make their special mark.  No politics, no permissions, no delay, no mind-numbing committees.  Simply, innovation, innovation and more innovation.





B.  The New Landscape
Starting this fall, it's a whole new ballgame in the coaching industry.  Here's why...

1. CoachVille is entering the coach training arena, in a big way.
You can read more about our offerings below.  But basically, we're going to offer a $79 lifetime membership to gain access to the many online coach-training resources and modules that we already have developed and that we will be developing over the next decade.  This is a one-time membership, not an annual membership.  The low membership fee (call it charter membership if you will) is available to the first 10,000 coaches who join.  After that, the fee will increase, perhaps significantly.

2. CoachVille is entering the professional coach association arena, in a big way.
Rather than offer a traditional 'association,' we will providing access, tools and the necessary infrastructure to support a true, worldwide network of coaches.  No extra fees, no annual fees, no cost to list yourself on the online referral service.  After all the future is networks, not associations.  Traditionally, associations are vehicles for protection and exclusionary, not hotbeds of innovation and collaboration.  Associations are a vestige of power, and in a world that's migrating to becoming strength-based, they are becoming less relevant, especially as folks get used to virtual networks online.

3. CoachVille is entering the coach certification arena, in a big way.
I never made it to Eagle Scout (I didn't get past the Webelos level), but I do like the 'merit badge' approach where the game is completely laid out in advance and you know exactly what you have to do in order to reach the top.  And the measure is performance (did the two sticks light the campfire or not?), not dependent on hours of training or experience.  After all some folks couldn't light a fire with two sticks even if they went to Harvard or trained for 20 years.  And some folks can pick up on it in mere seconds.  Why dumb them down?  I believe we can identify highly-specific, learnable and master-able coaching competencies so that the coach who is considering the Certified Coach designation can quickly find out where they are along the list and exactly what they need to be able to know or do with clients that earns them that 'merit badge.'  Some folks will be able to work through the 100 (or so) competencies in a couple of months because of their natural abilities, related training and experience, and/or quick learning style.  Others will never be able to master these clearly-described/defined competencies.  And, they won't be awarded the designation.  We expect there to be a nominal charge for certification; probably $199.  But only those who can demonstrate the competencies will be awarded the Certified Coach designation.  We are certifying that you have these competencies, just like Microsoft certifies that you can develop code, or trouble shoot a system or teach others.




C.  The Economics and Sustainability
You might be asking how CoachVille can/could afford to offer complete coach training and a lifetime membership in the CoachVille Network (association) for only $79.  It's the right question to ask because financial sustainability is obviously critical.

1.  The $79 from the first 1,000 - 10,000 coaches covers our programming costs.
The CoachVille Coach Training Program is 100% online and web-delivered.  Think CBT (computer-based training).  We'll start with RealAudio and transcripts and visuals (Stage I) and evolve into highly interactive CBT modules that can track your progress throughout the program (Stage II).  Stage I costs will run about $50,000.  Stage II costs will run about $250,000.  Ridiculously inexpensive when you consider the long-term lifespan of these modules.  How many coaches will join/enter?  My guess is about 1,000 in the first year.  Maybe more.  Probably more.  I just want to be fiscally conservative.  (Healthy reserves definitely provide comfort when launching something like this.)

2.  Program development is driven by the R&D Team.
Every member of CoachVille is automatically on the R&D Team.  I've proven that this format and structure works (both at Coach U and more recently at CoachVille.com).  Coaches want to contribute, they want to be stimulated, they want to play.  We provide the sandbox, the sand and some of the tools.  And we've proven that the raw input can be tweaked, integrated and packaged into some really cool and powerful programs, trainings and products that coaches will use. 

3.  The CoachVille Store.
The CoachVille Coach Training Program is oriented around the 100 coaching competencies and all of the modules/resources that you need to learn/pass the 100 competencies will be included in the $79 membership fee.  That said, there will also be literally 100's of client-oriented coaching programs that you can download and be licensed to use, ebooks on advanced or highly specific topics, PowerPoints, international licensing rights, support programs for practice development, cyberskills development, specialty certifications and advanced courses, etc.  (Even a key chain or two.)  For example, I've already got ideas for scores of 5-day Programs that would be available for coaches to deliver to their clients.  These would not be included in the CoachVille general membership fee; they are extras, available for a reasonable fee. 
This source of revenue -- the CoachVille Store -- is what will make CoachVille financially viable for years to come and fund any and all management, administrative and development needs.  Once coaches come into CoachVille (high value/low barrier to entry given the low fee) and see/experience/benefit from the hundreds of resources that are included, it's a fact (in marketing and in our experience) that they will buy the extra stuff that they need.  It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of how much.  So, the more members we have, the more long-term revenue we'll have; not just short-term revenue.  It's as simple as that.

4.  Bonus revenue sources.
When you're a big player in any field, big players outside your field want to play with you in order to get access to your market.  So, whether it's a referral fee from web designers, advertisers, merchant accounts or health insurance providers, or sponsorships, this extra revenue adds up.  It's part of the economics of open marketplaces and virtual communities.




D.  The CoachVille Coach Training Program
With all of the hoopla above, you may be wondering what will be included in the CoachVille Coach Training Program.  We may just call it CoachVille Coach Training or just CoachVille membership; that will be resolved later.  Regardless, here is the very simple layout of the components (meaning what you get for your $79).

Important Note
Most of these resources described below are being rolled out over the summer and fall (2001), so if you do join now, note that most of the resources will becoming out this fall.  But to get you started, you'll have full access to the Coaching Models collection and e-course, immediately.  As well as some other goodies.  And, by joining now, you'll be a Founding Member of CoachVille and have a logo stating such to use at your site, if you wish.  Plus -- and this is really cool -- you'll be receiving the invites to participate on some of the recordings we are doing over the summer and fall.  So, you'll be in on the ground floor and able to participant in live trainings and segments.

1. You receive e-training on each of the 100 Coaching Competencies.
We'll have an online module on each of the 100 coach/coaching competencies.  Initially, RealAudio discussions and transcripts, with homework and checklists.  Eventually, interactive, web-based training to help you master each of the competencies. 
A CD-version is available for an extra fee.

2. You receive full access to the online Success Forms Book.
This is a collection of forms, checklists, assessments and guides that you can use for yourself and with clients.  The online-based system will let you easily forward and even personalize your name to most of the forms and assessments.
A CD-version is available for an extra fee.

3. You receive full access to the online collection of 200 Coaching Demos.
These are the 40-minute real-client situational coaching sessions that we're conducting and taping this fall.  (20 minutes of Thomas or another experienced coach coaching real clients and then 20 minutes debrief and discussion afterward among the 10 coaches who were there for the client taping.)
A CD-version is available for an extra fee.

4. You receive lifetime membership in the CoachVille Network.
In addition to providing coach training and coach certification, you also automatically become a member of the CoachVille Network and have complete access to all aspects of this virtual community including discussion boards, chat rooms, special interest groups, instant messaging, collaboration tools, design teams, private ezines and special community projects.

5. You qualify for discounts on other coaching tools, specialty trainings and services.
CoachVille members receive special pricing (usually 25% off) the standard price for special trainings, licensing, materials, gifts, web services, bridge rentals and other coach- and client-oriented services and products.




E.  Okay, so tell me again why you're doing all this?
A reasonable question. Here's why...

1. The coaching industry is not operating at the speed of Internet Time. 
CoachVille will speed up the pace of innovation, especially with 10,000 members collaborating in real-time.

2. Most coaches won't join a traditional association, but they will join a network like CoachVille.
Different feel, different dynamic, different needs.  Hip. 

3. The future of coach training is online and on-demand.
CoachVille can do extremely well there.

4. The future of coach training is free.
$79 isn't free, but it's close.

5. There's tons of talent in the coaching community, but it's not that visible.
Our network and open architecture approach lets the talent become known and gives them a place to play in creative ways. 





Lifetime
membership
only $79


Questions?
thomas@thomasleonard.com


Best,

Thomas